With my time as Provincial drawing to a close at the end of this year, and still plenty of things to cross off the ‘to-do’ list, there hasn’t been much time for reflection on these past six years.

But as I write this column, it is a chance to take a few moments and consider what God has done in our Province and to give thanks for blessings received.

There is nothing more temporary than the Provincial of a religious society. They come and go, in an organised fashion, with almost monotonous regularity. And this is a very good thing.

The SVD Generalate in Rome has just confirmed that the next Provincial of the AUS Province will be Fr Asaeli Raass SVD. He will take up the position on January 1. I am delighted at Raass’s election and wish him every blessing for the years ahead.

Together with the Provincial Council, the Provincial is tasked with leading a Province for a period of time, doing one’s best to help the members discern what God is asking of them at this time, in this place, and then, handing on the baton to another.

I have enjoyed my time as Provincial, although of course there have been challenges. Chief among these was the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the response required of all religious orders/congregations/societies to ensure that those abuses can never happen again.

Our Province is working hard on its safeguarding policies and procedures and is fulfilling the many detailed tasks required for entry to the National Redress Scheme. We are working proactively on building a culture of safety, awareness and respect for all. This has been important work and it will, of course, be ongoing.

I have just returned from Myanmar where, after an invitation from the Archbishop of Yangon, Cardinal Charles Bo SDB, our Province has established a presence. This has taken much prayer, discernment, planning, and hard physical work from some of our confreres, but I am filled with hope for its potential. The Biblical ministry we are engaged in there is fundamental to the SVD charism and Cardinal Bo has said that the people are hungry for the Word of God. What a privilege to play a role in filling that hunger and sharing the lives of the people. Having established our presence, and with a team of confreres now in place there, we place its future in God’s hands.

Another highlight as I look back over the last six years is the growth in relationship with our Lay Partners in Mission. The SVD has always enjoyed strong support from lay friends and in recent times we have moved to explore ways of formalising that friendship and support. A Lay Partners Group has been established in Marsfield and we hope to do the same in other places in due course. We see the hand of the Holy Spirit in this development and we give thanks for it.

This reflection is not a good-bye, of course. There are still six months ahead before I step down, and much to be done. However, I will be taking the next three months as home leave back in Europe and so Raass, who is the current Vice-Provincial, will provide these columns and lead the Province in my absence. I’ll look forward to catching up with you again in a few months’ time.

Yours in the Word,
Fr Henry Adler SVD
Provincial.